Staple-setting machine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

G. HAY.

STAPLE SETTING MACHINE.

Patented Mar. Z3, 189'?.

mi Norms Finns Co. Pnorammn. wAsHINcwN, n4 c.

(No M0de1.) l Y 2 sheets-,sheet 2.

G. HAY.

STABLE SETTING MAGHINE.

No. 579,148. Patented Mar. 23, 1897.

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GILBERT HAY, OF S'I. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

STAPLE-SETTING MACHINE. f

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 579,148, dated March 23, 1897. .pplication tiled February 24, 1896. `Serial No. 580,564. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GILBERT HAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Staple-Setting Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

Myinvention has relation to improvements in staple-setting machines; and it consists in the novel arrangement and combination of parts more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail longitudinal section taken through the middle of the passage of the delivery or feed chute. Fig. 3 is a section on a Ct of Fig. 2. Fig. et is an end view of the shaft carrying the brushes and agitating-arms for preventing bunching and interlocking of the staples. Fig. 5 is a section on hb of Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the staples. Fig. 7 is a detail section of two pieces of fabric connected by a staple. Fig. 8 is a section on c c of Fig. l. Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the guide plate or rail and its expanded portion. Fig. l0 is a middle vertical section taken through the head carrying the movable slideway through which the eX- tension of the plunger operates. Fig. ll is a section on d d of Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a detail elevation of the lower end of one of the controlling-rods by which the interceptingblock at the bottom of the delivery-chute is operated. Fig. 13 is a plan view of the casting of which the intercepting-block and iingers on either side of it form a part. Fig. le is a face view of the movable slideway; and Fig. l5 is a vertical section in a plane parallel to the face, showing the extension of the plunger operating therein in its lowest position and in the act of driving a staple held at the bottom of the slideway.

The object of my invention is to construct a machine which will automatically feed metallic staples to the 'jaws or faces, by or between which the staples are set and driven into the material operated on, it being remembered that the present machine is designed to secure the seams in leather, cloth, paper, wearing-apparel, boots, shoes, gloves, and the like.

A further object is to construct a combined feeder and staple-setter which will be accurate, reliable, positive in its action, and wherein little or no liability can occur for skipping a stitch during the progress of the work. To this endl have devised a machine which in detail may be described as follows:

Referring to the drawings, l represents the frame, which carries the several parts. Pivoted at the free end of an arm 2 of said frame is a staple controlling orfeedi ng lever 3,whose outer or projecting end is connected bya link 4 to the free end of the staple-driving lever 5, pivoted to the main or body portion of the frame, the two levers being further connected to the upper end of a connecting-rod 6, which may be reciprocated up and down by foot or any other suitable source of power. (Not shown.) K Y On top ofthe frame l is mounted a hopper, having lower inclined side Walls 8, a plate 9, having an upper inclined edge or surface, being interposed between the said inclined side walls for a purpose to be presently described. The front lower wall l0 of the hopper is also inclined toward the mouth thereof to direct such of the staples as fail to land on the upper inclined edge or surface of the plate 9 (as subsequently to be explained) back to the bottom of the hopper.

Pivoted to the lever 3 at a point directly in front of the rear vertical wall of the hopper is a connecting-rod 1l, whose upper end is pivotally secured to the free end of a crankarm l2, rigidly carried at the outer projecting end of a roclcshaft I3, passing through the medial portion of the hopper. and having bearings in the front and rear vertical Walls of the said hopper.

Carried by the rock-shaft 13 and located within the hopper adjacent to the rear verti cal wall thereof is a shaking or rocking staple-feed box 14, into which the staples l5 are first placed and from which they drop into the hopper through the openings 16, made along the lower edges of the front and'rear j walls of said box.

NVith the rocking of the lever 3 a rocking motion will be imparted to the shaft 13 and the box carried byit through the connections between said shaft and the lever 3, thus intermittently shaking the contents of the box l bythe plates 17.

and depositing the staples in the hopper one by one. Without the shaking process the staples, which as a rule are japanned, might stick to each other before leaving the hopper. Embracing the plate 9 and passing through suitable openings at the bottom of the hopper are the reciprocating feed or staple-elevating plates 17, having inwardly-inclined upper horizontal edges 1S, the lower ends of said plates being pivotally connected by a link 19 to the inner end of the lever 3, the connection being effected by the pins 2O 20.

With the rocking of the lever 3 and the simultaneous rocking or shaking of the box 14 the plates 17 reciprocate up and down along the plate 9, the inclined upper parallel and horizontal edges 18 of said elevatingplates raising and feeding a certain number of staples with each upward stroke and depositing them on the inclined upper surface or edge of the plate 9. That portion of the plate 9 which is located between the plates 17 and on whose upper inclined surface or edge the staples are immediately deposited is wider than the full width of the staples, allowing the latter to rest bodily on such edge, as best seen in Fig. 9, when once deposited thereon The plate 9 has formed integral therewith a downwardly-inclined eX- tension 21, narrower than the plate 9 proper, the upper edge of the extension forming a continuation of the upper inclined depositing edge or surface of the plate 9 and being suflicently narrow to allow the U -shaped staples asthey slide along and off the depositing-surface of the plate 9 to embrace the upper edge of the said extension, the extension 21 thus serving as a guide plate or rail for the staples to ride down upon and serving to convey the staples to the lower end thereof and to the upper end of the chute, which conveys them to the operating jaws, as subsequently to be explained.

As a matter of construction the plate 9 constitutes the expanded upper end of the rail21, and the difference in the thickness between the rail 21 and the expanded upper end 9 thereof is determined by the depth of.

the shoulders 22, formed between them. (See Fig. 9,)

To enable the staples to better straddle the rail the moment they have left the upper surface of the plate 9, a portion of the width of the rail is cut away adjacent to the shoulders 22, leaving a connecting narrow strip 21l to be first straddled, (see Figs. 1 and 9,) whence the staples run downward along the main portion of the rail 21. The rail passes through the front inclined wall 10 at the base of the hopper, an opening (see Fig. 5) being cut away in said wall to allow the staples to pass out of the hopper. As the staples slide along the rail they are protected by a cover-plate 24, forming a part of or connected to the hopperwalls.

The object of the shaking box 14 is to feed the staples singly into the hopper and to separate them sufficiently to overcome any sticking tendencies by reason of the japan with which they are covered. lt becomes necessary, in addition, to in sure the several staples properly straddling the rail after they leave the upper depositing surface of its expanded end 9. This is accomplished as follows: Mounted between the side walls of the hopper below and transverse to t-he rock-shaft 13 is a shaft 25, to one end of which and outside of the hopper is secured a ratchet-wheel 26, which is periodically advanced by a springpawl'27, pivoted to the medial portion of an arm 2S, one end of which loosely embraces the projecting end of the shaft 25, and the opposite end of which is pivotally connected to the upper end of a connecting-rod'29, whose lower end is ypivotally secured at a suitable point on the driving-lever 5.

It is apparent from the connectionsv described that with each downward stroke of the front end of 'the lever 5 the ratchet will be advanced or rotated one, two, or more teeth, thus rotating the shaft 25, the pawl 27 slipping along the ratchet on the upward stroke of the front end of the lever-arm 5. Mounted on the shaft 25 immediately above the rail 21 or its narrow connecting portion 21/ are a series of brushes '30, alternating with aseries of elastic arms 31 of greater length and arranged in pairs. )Vith each intermittent advance or rotation of the shaft 25 the brushes 30 operate to properly set or right7 each staple and cause the latter to properly straddle the inclined rail 21. On the other hand, the intermittent rotation of the arms 31 ltends to overcome or prevent the bunching -or interlocking of several staples, the arms acting to pick up and re move any staple which is not in proper position for straddling t-he rail 21. To insure that any staple so picked up is released and allowedv to drop back into the hopper,l provide positive means for brushing off such staple back to the hopper, which means are as follows: Pivoted along the edge of an inner projecting ledge or arm 32, formed Pivoted along the ledge 32, adjacent to the i trigger 33, and on the side opposite to the pivotal point 3S of the spring-arms 37 37', is a spring-actuated finger 39, the flexed spring 40, carried by it, bearing with its free end against the adjacent side wall of the hopper and tending normally to force the free end of the tin ger again st the arm 35 of the trigger. (See Fig. 5.) Now carried by the rock-shaft 13 is a pin or arm 41, adapted, with the rock- IIC ing of said shaft at one oscillation, to strike the pin 3G of the trigger and tilt it to it-s normal position against the resiliency of the controlling spring-arm 37, and on its return oscillation said arm 4l strikes a pin 42, carried by the finger 39, shoving the latter out of the position it normally occupies when in engagement with the arm 35. By this tilting away of the finger 39 the resilient spring-arm 37 swings and forces the free end of the trigger carrying the brush 34 against any staple that might be lodged on the arms 3l, thus sweeping such staples back into the bottom of the hopper, whence they can be redeposited on the rail, as already described, When the rockshaft 13 has oscillated back to its first position, the finger 39, under the action of the spring 40, will again engage with the free end of the arm 35, as before, the finger and trigger being oscillated in one direction by the arm 41, carried by the rock-shaf t, and by the controlling-springs 40 and 37 in the opposite direction.

Ve have thus far described the operation of the device and tracedA the path of the staples from the shaking or rocking box to the lower end of the rail 2l, along which they slide in succession to the upper end of the inclined chute 43, leading to the driving-plunger and to the jaws between which the fabric operated on is fed. It becomes necessary, of course, that the array or series of staples sliding down the rail or guide-plate shall be fed singly or one at a time to the chute 43. This is accomplished as follows: Projecting forwardly from and forming a part of the hopper is a spring-arm 442 whose medial portion is pivotally connected by a rod to the cross-head 4G, operating in the guideway 47 and carried by the forward end of the lever 5. To the free end of the spring-arm is suspended a controlling-plate 43, whose lower end permits, when the arm 44 is in its normal position, the advancing staple of the series riding on the rail to drop on and straddle the inner edge of a spring-controlled semicylindrical releasing-plate 49, the action of the spring 50, controlling said plate, tending to tilt the latter, so as to normally close the passage of the chute 43, the said releasingplate operating through the slotted wall of the chute, whose passage-way in cross-section is substantially as indicated in Fig. 3. As the cross-head 46 reciprocates downwardly it draws after it the rod 45, whereupon, the latter drawing l[he free end of the spring-arm 44 after it, the said spring-arm will shove down the controlling-plate 48 sufficiently to strike the pivoted releasing-plate 49 and tilt the latter sufficiently to cause the staple straddling it to drop therefrom and slide down the chute 43. At the same time that the controllingplate tilts the releasing-plate it comes in contact with the lower edge of the rail, thus temporarily holding back the remaining of the series of staples riding down the rail, and thus allowing but one staple at a time to drop down the chute. On the upward stroke of the cross-head the neXt succeeding staple is allowed to slip forward and straddle the inner edge of the releasing-plate 49 and thus be brought into position for the next operation.

The lower or delivery end of the chute 43 opens into a vertical slideway 5l, cut away at its front side to receive the lower end of said chute, a portion of the slideway extending below the chute. The rear wall of the slideway is provided with a vertical slot 52, behind which is a groove or depression 53, formed in the head 54 of the main frame l.

Secured to and embracing the head 54 and covering the slideway 5l is a cover-plate 55, having a suitable opening 56 on its exposed side directly in line of the passage of the chute. On either side of the opening 56 are smaller openings or passages 57, whose rear ends communicate each with a vertical slot or passage 5S. Secured to or carried by the cover-plate is one end of a spring or resilient arm 59, whose free end carries a casting comprising an intercepting-block G0, adapted to enter the opening 56,and iin gers 6l,adapted to enter and operate in the openings 57, the tendency of the spring-plate being to normally hold the block in line of the passage of the chute, and thus intercept each staple as it comes down said chute-passage until released by the outward movement of the block ('50, which is actuated by the following mechanism: Guided within an opening of a plate 62, secured at the base of the guideway 47, are spring-controlled rods G3, having each a head 64, adapted to be struck by the crosshead 4G in its downward movement, the lower ends of the rods being each provided with a block 65, having a terminal bevel end 66, passing through the passages 53 of the coverplate, and which in their downward movement with the cross-head an-d plunger bear against the iingers 6l of the casting carrying the block 60 and shove the latter (against the resiliency of the spring-arm 59) out of the way of the passage-way of the chute 43. Upon the upward stroke of the cross-head the block 60 and iin gers Gl resume their normal position in the cover-plate 55.

Carried by the cross-head is a plunger G7, whose extension 63 is adapted to operate in the slideway 5l, a suitable coiled spring 69, passing through the plate 62 and encircling the plunger, being interposed between the crosshead and the upper end of the slideway. Carried by the lower portion of the extension 68 and passing through the slot 52 of the slideway is a pin 70, which terminates in an expanded head 7l, operating in the groove 53 of the head 54.

It is to be remembered that the slideway itself reciprocates within the cover-plate 55. As the plunger 67 and its extension move downward the rods 63 are depressed, their bevel ends pushing `aside\the interceptingblock 60 and allowing the staple at the bot- IOO IIO

tom of the chute to rest against the surface of the plunger extension 68, which by this time has `passed below the delivery end of the chute and into the terminal contracted throat of the slideway. (See Fig. 15.) On the upward stroke of the plunger the block 60 is allowed to resume its normal position, by which action it shoves the staple thus resting against the surface of the plunger extension into the slideway and at the same instantcloses the deliveryend of the chute. The object of closing the delivery end of the chute at this instant is to intercept any staple that might accidentally have lodged in the chute from a previous feeding` olf the rail 2l, and which in its descent through the chute .failedto drop to the delivery end thereof, but

lodged or stuck somewhere above it, and which did not reach said delivery end until precipitated thereto by the impetus or fall of the next succeeding staple, thus leaving under such circumstances two staples at the mouth or delivery end of the chute; and were it not for the intercepting-block there would be fed simultaneously two staples to the throat of the slideway under the plunger extension, thus choking up the throat with two staples and perhaps injuring the parts at this point.

On the next downward stroke of the plunger the block 60 is operated in the same manner, bringing the next succeedin g staple resting against the upper surface of the interceptiug-block to lodge and rest against the broad or lateral surface of the plunger extension, and the staple, which from the previous upstroke of the plunger was pushed into the throat of the slideway will be set by the punching end of the plunger extension. On the next upward stroke the second staple thus resting against the side of the plunger extension is shoved into the slideway by the block 60 falling into the throat thereof, and this staple is subsequently set in the same manner by the next downward stroke of the plunger, and so on. As the plunger moves downward of course the slideway (by reason of the interposed spring G9) will move with it until the latter comes in contact with the fabric to be operated on, after which the further movement of the plunger compresses the spring, which latter is again expanded to its normal condition on the upward stroke of the plunger, and when the pin reaches the upper end of the slot 52, within which it operates, it carries the slideway with it to its normal position above the surface of the arm 72, the object of the spring being in all cases to hold the slideway firmly against the fabric operated on.

It is seen from the above that the present machine is entirely automatic, iirst shaping the staples into the hopper, then delivering them from the hopper along the guide plate or rail, whence they fall one by one into and through the chute, whence they enter the 2.' In a staple-setting machine, a suitable.

hopper, an agitating-box for depositing the staples into said hopper, a suitable guide plate or rail for conducting the staples from the hopper, an inclined chute for the reception of the staples, and suitable staplesetting devices at the delivery end of the chute, substantially7 as set forth.

3. In a staplesetting machine, a'suitable hopper for depositing the staples thereinto, a suitable guide plate or rail for conducting the series of staples from the hopper, said rail having an expanded portion confined within the hopper, means for elevating and depositing the staples from the bottom of the hopper onto the expanded portion of the rail, said expanded portion and rail proper being inclined to permit the staples to slide down the expanded portion and then straddle the rail proper and ride down to the lowest point thereof, an inclined chute for the reception of the staples riding down the rail, and suitable staple-setting mechanism at the delivf ery end of the chute, substantially as set forth.

4. In a staple-setting machine, a suitable hopper for depositing the staples thereinto, a suitable guide plate or rail for conducting the series of staples from the hopper, said rail having an expanded portion or plate confined within the hopper, means for elevating.

and depositing the staples from the bottom of the hopper onto said plate, means for righting the positionof each staple on the rail, means for preventing the interlocking or bunching of the staples before deposited on the rail, suitable staple-setting mechanism for the staples, and suitable means for conducting the staples from the rail to the said staple-setting mechanism, substantially as set forth.

5. In a staple-setting machine, a suitable hopper for the deposition of the staples, a rail for conducting the staples from the hop- ICO IIO

IZO

per, a chute at the lower end of the rail for the reception of the staples conducted by the rail, a controlling-plate at the meeting of the rail and chute, a releasing-plate actuated by the eontrolling-plate adapted to drop each staple into the chute, an intercepting plate or bloc-k at the delivery end of the chute, and suitable staple-setting mechanism also at the delivery end of the chute, substantially as set forth.

6. In astaple-setting machine, a suit-able hopper, a chut-e, means for conducting the staples from the hopper to the chtite, a suitable plunger, mechanism for actuating the plunger, a staple-releasing plate at the upper end of the chute, an interceptingblock at the delivery end of the chute, and means actuated by the plunger for controlling the intercepting-block, substantially as set forth.

7. In a staple-setting machine, a suitable hopper, a rock-shaft mounted therein, a box carried by saidshaft, openings at the bottom of said box for shaking out the contents of the same, a second shaft mounted in the hopper transverse to the rock-shaft, means for intermittently rotating said second shaft, a rail leading from the hopper in proximity to the second shaft, means for elevating` the staples onto said rail, suitable brushes and radiating arms carried `by the second shaft for righting the position of the staples on the rail and preventing interlocking of the said staples, and additional means-for sweeping or brushing off the staples carried u p by the radiating arms, substantially as set forth.

8. In a staple-setting machine, a suit-able hopper for the staples, a guide-rail having an outer narrow7 portion for leading or conducting the staples from said hopper and an inner or upper portion or end on which the staples are initially deposited, the inner or upper end of the said rail beinglocated at a suitable distance above the bottom of the hopper, and suitable vertically-reciprocating elevating devices embracing the sides of and disposed adjacent to the inner end of the rail for depositing the staples from the bottom of the hopper onto the guide-rail, substantially as set forth.

9. In a staple-setting machine, a suitable hopper, a guide-rail leading therefrom and having a narrow and expanded portion, said expanded portion being conned within the hopper, plates embracing the said expanded portion of the rail, inwardly-inclined upper parallel edges for said embracing-plates, means forreciprocatingsaidembracing-plates to and from the bottom of the hopper and to and from the upper expanded portion of the rail, whereby the staples at the bottom of the hopper are elevated and deposited on said rail, and suitable means for conducting the staples to a staple-setting mechanism, substantially as set forth.

l0. In a staple-setting machine, a suitable hopper, a rail for conducting the staplesfrom said hopper, a rotating shaft carrying radiating arms for preventing the interlocking of the staples, a spring-controlled trigger pivoted Within the hopper and having a brush at its free end adapted to come in contact with the staples picked up by the radiating arms, a rock-shaft mounted transverse to the rotating shaft and carrying an arm, apin projecting from the trigger with which said arm comes in contact with one oscillation of the rock-shaft whereby the trigger is normally forced against the resiliency of the spring controlling it, a spring-controlled finger having a projecting pin'and adapted to engage with the trigger when in its normal position, said arm on the rock-shaft adapted to come in contact with the pin on said finger and trip the latter out of engagement with the trigger on the return oscillation of the rock-shaft, whereby the trigger is released and under the resiliency of the spring controllingit is adapted to brush against any staple carried up by the radiating arms, and sweep said staples bac-k into the hopper, substantially as set forth.

ll. In a staple-setting machine, a suit-able hopper, arail leading from said hopper and adapted to conduct the staples out of the same, an inclined chtite at the lower end of the rail, a spring-arm extending from the hopper, a controlling-plate suspended or secured at one endfrom the free end of the spring-arm, the opposite end of the controlling-plate adapted to control the staples sliding down the rail, a spring-controlled releasin g-plate normally closing the-passage of the chute, a reciprocating cross-head, a connecting bar or rod between the crossshead and the spring-arm carrying the controlling-plate, whereby as the cross-head reciprocates in one direction the free end of the spring-arm is depressed and the controlling-plate actuatcs or trips the releasing-plate to permit the staple temporarily carried by it' tcdrop through to the bottom of the chute, anintercepting-block at the delivery end of the chtite, and means actuated by the cross-head for controlling the intercepting-block, substantially as set forth.

l2. In a staple-setting machine, a suitable chute, means for delivering staples into said chute, a staple-releasing plate at the upper end of the chute, a suitable frame, a head forming a part of said frame, a slideway mounted in said head, the delivery end of the chute being in communication with the slideway a suitable distance above the lowest end or throat thereof, a spring-controlled intercepting-block carried by the head and norm ally adapted to close the opening at the base of the chute, a reciprocating plunger' havingY an extension passing through and operating within the slideway, and means carried by the head and actuated by the reciprocation of the plunger for shoving aside the intercepting-block and allowing the staple to drop into the throat of the slideway, substantially as set forth.

13. ln a staple-setting machine a suitable frame, a head forming part of the same, a plate embracing the head, a slideway interposed between the embracing-plate and the head and adapted to reciprocate within its confines, a spring-plate having secured at its free end a block and a iin ger on each side of said block, suitable openings for the free passage of the block and fingers, an inclined chute leading to the slideway and opening thereinto and passing through suitable open- IOO IIO

ings in the embracing-plate and slideway cut away for its reception, the spring controlling the intercepting-block adapted to normally hold the latter under the open or delivery end of the chute, a reciprocating plu nger mounted in the fra1ne,a cross-head for said plunger, a guideway for the cross-head, a plate at the base of the guideway, rods passing through the plate and adapted to be struck by the cross-head, suitable passages formed in the embracing-plate at right angles to the passages made for the reception of the fingers and in vcommunication with said passages, the bases of the rods struck by the cross-head passing through the last-named passages and adapted upon the reciprocation of the cross head and plunger in one direction to force said fingers and. block outwardly and thus open the delivery end of the chute and allow the staple to drop into the throat of the slideway, substantially as set forth.

14. In a staple-setting machine, a suitable head, a slideway movably mounted in the saine, a reciprocating plunger, an extension for the same, and passing through said slideway, a slot in one of the faces of the slideway, a pin carried by the plunger extension and passing through the slot, a head on said pin, a groove formed in the head for the reception of the said pin-head, whereby the pin carries the slideway with the plunger on its upward stroke, a cross-head for the plunger, and a coiled spring encircling the plunger and eX- tension and interposed between the crosshead and the adjacent end of the slideway, substantially as set forth.

l5. In a staple-setting machine, a suitable hopper for the staples, a guide-rail having a narrow portion for leading or conducting the staples from said hopper, and an inner or upper wide portion or end on which the staples are initially deposited, the inner or upper end of the conducting-surface of said rail being located at a suitable distance above the bottom of the hopper, and suitable elevating devices for depositing the staples from the bottom of the hopper onto the guide-rail, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GILBERT HAY. Vitnesses:

ALFRED A. MATHEY, EMIL STAREK. 

